Health Insurance For A Smoker Explained

Smoking is one of the most injurious activities out there. Smoking deteriorates general physical health, along with the immune system at a very rapid pace. The body becomes very susceptible to disease, and then there is always an increased risk of lifestyle diseases like coronary disorders, cancer, increased blood pressure, etc. 

It is not at all surprising that a smoker can purchase health insurance plans. There are a low number of policies out there in the market that refuse to cover a smoker. There is a significantly less probability that there would be smoking mentioned in the exclusions section. The only difference between the coverage of an average person and a smoker is the amount of premium for the same coverage. The premium for a non-smoker is way less than the smoker.    

Myth About Smokers And Health Insurance

It is a widespread misconception that smokers cannot get Health Insurance, and even if they do, they have to pay vast amounts of premium to get themselves covered. 

Let’s get the very first myth out of the way; most companies provide health insurance to smokers. Although they are at increased risk of falling ill, they can avail of the service nonetheless. 

The matter is premiums depend upon the company that is providing the cover. It is higher than the premium of the non-smoker, but it is undoubtedly not anything like a gigantic sum. There is a decent difference between the premiums of the smoker and the non-smoker. 

Who is Described As a Smoker in Health Insurance?

There is more than one way where you can be a part of the smoker category. These are listed below:  

• Consumption of any nicotine-based product and not only smoking.

• Consumption of flavored hookah because it still contains small amounts of nicotine.

• A smoking habit that may have been old.

• Nicotine is found in blood, urine, or hair samples.

Can Hiding Smoking History Cause Problems in Health Insurance?

When you are purchasing the health insurance cover or raising a claim for a particular policy, you should be very transparent if you are a smoker. Your lack of transparency may lead to the following problems: 

• If you claim to be a non-smoker to get a less premium amount, if your test sample contains traces of nicotine, then this can be termed as misleading or sometimes even insurance fraud. 

• Any pre-existing, underlying disease which may have been caused due to smoking would not be covered during the waiting period. This would leave you vulnerable to colossal hospital charges. 

• If there have been changes in your lifestyle, your insurer needs to know. If the company finds that out later, there will be problems with your claim settlement process. 

Conclusion

Smoking is not the habit that would lead to you not getting a health cover. This myth needs to be quashed. The health coverage is given to even avid smokers, but the lifestyle, age, and insured amount may affect the premium from a non-smoker. 
It is still recommended that any person should improve the lifestyle and refrain from this habit. The people indulging in this habit should be very forthcoming with their practices when they opt for insurance. They must read all the terms and conditions before going for the purchase of the policy.   

Disclaimer: This article is issued in the general public interest and meant for general information purposes only. Readers are advised not to rely on the contents of the article as conclusive in nature and should research further or consult an expert in this regard.